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Is there any way to trick a breathalyzer?

Last Updated: Apr 17, 2019 09:19AM PDT

The short answer to this question is “no,” but since this is such a popular question, we’d like to address a few of the common myths around tricking a breathalyzer into giving a lower blood alcohol content reading.

Myth: You can trick a breathalyzer by eating strong foods like onions, coffee grounds or breath mints.
Reality: These substances often mask the odor of alcohol on a person’s breath, but it doesn't change the alcohol content in their system. When a person blows into a breathalyzer, the blood alcohol level of air in the deep lungs is tested, which is unaffected by what one eats to cover the odor.

Myth: Drinking mouthwash will trick a breathalyzer. Reality: Mouthwash may be able to slightly mask the smell of alcohol on your breath, but like any other strong substance, it won't lower a breathalyzer reading. In fact, some mouthwash contains a small amount of alcohol that could potentially increase the amount of alcohol registered on the breathalyzer. The same goes for some breath sprays. On a related note, testing is most accurate if subjects have not consumed any substance 15 minutes prior to testing to ensure that there is no residual mouth alcohol.